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PRAYER

BY

JOHN KNOX

JOHN KNOX

1505-1572

John Knox was born at Haddington, East Lothian, in 1505. He attended school in his native town and in 1522 matriculated at the University of Edinburgh. Little is known of his life before the year 1546, when the martyrdom of Wishart determined him to renounce Catholicism and embrace the new faith. Captured at St. Andrew's Castle by the combined forces of the French and Scotch Catholics, he suffered imprisonment during nearly two years and his health was much impaired by the harsh treatment to which he was subjected. On his release in 1548 he went to London and was appointed a preacher in Berwick, later in Newcastle. All his efforts in his polemic discourses were directed to the denunciation of celebrating mass. To escape prosecution, on the accession of Mary, Knox fled to Dieppe in 1553 and after visiting the churches in France and Switzerland he accepted a call from the congregation at Frankfort, then much rent and disturbed by factions. The discourse on "Prayer" shows Knox less in his polemic mood, but rather as one of the great and eloquent preachers of his time. Upon urgent solicitations he became minister to the English congregation at Geneva.

Recalled to Scotland in May, 1559, he entered upon his triumphant course as a reformer. Political necessities had driven the Queen-regent to temporize with the "lords of the congregation," or the reforming nobles. The heads of the party assembling at Dundee, under Erskine of Dun, proceeded to Perth. There the pent-up enthusiasm was roused by a sermon of Knox on the idolatry of the mass and on image-worship. A riot ensued. The " rascal multitude," as Knox himself called them, destroyed the churches and monasteries. Similar disturbances followed at Stirling, Lindores, St. Andrew's, and elsewhere. At length the assistance of Elizabeth and the death of the Queen-regent brought matters to a crisis; a truce was proclaimed, and a free Parliament summoned to settle differences. The result of the Parliament, which met in August, 1560, was the establishment of the reformed Kirk in Scotland. In all this Knox was not only an active agent, but the agent above all others. The arrival of the youthful queen, Mary, in the course of 1561, brought many forebodings to the reformer; he apprehended great dangers to the reformed cause from her well-known devotion to the Church of Rome. The rapid series of events which followed Mary's marriage with Darnley-the revolt of the dissatisfied nobles, with Murray at their head, the murder of Rizzio, and then the murder of Darnley (1567), the Queen's marriage with Bothwell, her defeat and imprisonment, served once more to bring Knox into the field. Further reforms were effected by the Parliament which convened under his sway at the close of 1567. Knox seemed at length to see his great work accomplished. But the bright prospect on which he gazed for a short time was soon overcast-Murray's assassination, and the confusion and discord which sprung out of it, plunged the reformer into profound grief. He retired to St. Andrew's for a while, to escape the danger of assassination with which he had been threatened. At the end of 1572 he returned to Edinburgh; his strength was exhausted; he was the world," he said; and on November 24th, of that year, he died.

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weary of

PRAYER

RAYER Springeth out of true Faith" (Rom. x.).1 How necessary is the right invocation of God's name, other

PR

wise called perfect prayer, becometh no Christian to misknow, seeing it is the very branch which springeth forth of true faith, whereof, if any man be destitute, notwithstanding he be endowed with whatsoever other virtues, yet, in the presence of God, he is reputed for no Christian at all. Therefore, a manifest sign it is, that such as in prayer are always negligent do understand nothing of perfect faith. For if the fire be without heat, or the burning lamp without light, then true faith may be without fervent prayer. But because, in times past was, and yet, alas! with no small number is that reckoned to be prayer which in the sight of God was and is nothing less, I intend shortly to touch the circumstances thereof.

What Prayer is.-Who will pray must know and understand that prayer is an earnest and familiar talking with God, to whom we declare our miseries, whose support and help we implore and desire in our adversities, and whom we laud and praise for our benefits received, so that prayer containeth the exposition of our dolors, the desire of God's defence, and the praising of His magnificent name, as the Psalms of David clearly do teach. That this be most reverently done should provoke in us the consideration in whose presence we stand, to whom we speak, and what we desire; standing in the presence of the Omnipotent Creator of heaven and earth, and of all the contents thereof, to whom assist and serve a thousand thousand of angels, giving obedience to His eternal majesty, and speaking unto Him who knoweth the secrets of our hearts, before whom dissimulation and lies are always odious and hateful, and asking that thing which may be most to His glory and to the comfort of our conscience. But diligently should we attend, that such 1 This sermon was first printed at Rome, July, 1554.

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things as may offend His godly presence to the uttermost of our powers may be removed. And, first, that worldly cares and fleshly cogitations, such as draw us from contemplation of our God, may be expelled from us, that we may freely, without interruption, call upon God. But how difficult and hard is this one thing in prayer to perform, knoweth none better than such as in their prayer are not content to remain within the bonds of their own vanity, but, as it were ravished, do intend to a purity allowed of asking not such things as the foolish reason of man desireth, but which may be pleasant and acceptable in God's presence. Our adversary Satan, at all times compassing us about, is never more ready than when we address and bend ourselves to prayer. Oh, how secretly and subtilely creepeth he into our breasts, and calling us back from God, causeth us to forget what we have to do, as that frequently when we in all reverence should speak of God, we find our hearts talking with the vanities of the world, or with the foolish imaginations of our own conceit.

How the Spirit maketh Intercession for Us.-Without the Spirit of God supporting our infirmities, mightily making intercession for us with unceasable groans, which cannot be expressed with the tongue, there is no hope of anything we can desire according to God's will. I mean not that the Holy Ghost doth mourn and pray, but that He stirreth up our minds, giving unto us a desire or boldness to pray, and causeth us to mourn when we are extracted or pulled therefrom. Which things to conceive no strength of man sufficeth, neither is able of itself; but hereof it is plain, that such as understand not what they pray, or expound not or declare not the desire of their hearts clearly in God's presence, and in time of prayer to their possibility do not expel vain cogitations from their minds, profit nothing in prayer.

Why we should Pray, and also Understand what we do Pray. -Men will object and say, although we understand not what we pray, yet God understandeth, who knoweth the secrets of our hearts; He knoweth also what we need, although we expose not or declare not our necessities unto Him. Such men verily declare themselves never to have understanding what perfect prayer meant, nor to what end Jesus Christ commandeth us to pray; which is, first, that our hearts may be inflamed with con

tinual fear, honor, and love of God, to whom we run for support and help whenever danger or necessity requireth; that we so learning to notify our desires in His presence, He may teach us what is to be desired, and what not; secondly, that we knowing our petitions to be granted by God alone, to Him only must we render and give laud and praise, and that we, ever having His infinite goodness fixed in our minds, may constantly abide to receive that which with fervent prayer we desire.

Why God deferreth our Prayer.-For sometime God deferreth or prolongeth to grant our petitions for the exercise and trial of our faith, and not that He sleepeth, or is absent from us at any time, but that with more gladness we might receive that which with long expectation we have abidden, that thereby we, assured of His eternal providence, so far as the infirmity of our weak, and corrupt, and most weak nature will permit, doubt not but His merciful hand shall relieve us in most urgent necessity and extreme tribulation. Therefore, such men as teach us that necessarily it is not required that we understand what we pray, because God knoweth what we need, would also teach us that neither we honor God, nor yet refer or give unto Him thanks for benefits received; for how shall we honor and praise him whose goodness and liberality we know not? And how shall we know and sometime have experience? And how shall we know that we have received, unless we know verily what we have asked?

The second thing to be observed in perfect prayer is, that standing in the presence of God, we be found such as bear reverence to His Holy law, earnestly repenting our past iniquity, and intending to lead a new life; for otherwise, in vain are all our prayers, as it is written, "Whoso withdraweth his ear, that he may not hear the law, his prayer shall be abominable" (Prov. xv.). Likewise Isaiah and Jeremiah say thus: "Ye shall multiply your prayers, and I shall not hear, because your hands are full of blood; " that is, of all cruelty and mischievous works. Also the Spirit of God appeareth by the mouth of the blind whom Jesus Christ did illuminate, by these words, "We know that God heareth not sinners" (John ix.); that is, such as glory and do continue in iniquity.

When Sinners are not heard of God.-So that of necessity true repentance must needs be had, and go before perfect prayer,

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